As teachers we must teach children how to decode and spell words. A
way to show students how to decode and spell words is to use a common
correspondence
to relate these concepts. This lesson is designed to teach the digraph
/sh/.

1. Introduce lesson by making /sh/ sound by putting your fingers
over
your lips like you would do if you were quieting the class. This is the
sound /s/ and /h/. When you put them together you get the /sh/ sound.
Have
the class repeat this sound with you.

2. The /sh/ sound can be heard in many words. As a teacher, help the
students by modeling one word with them. For example, I hear a /sh/
sound
in show. Next show the students how the word "show" is written on the
board.
Do you hear the /sh/ sound in shirt or skirt? Students will answer.
Make
sure that each student responds before you move on. Now do you hear the
/sh/ sound in short or sport? Students will answer. Make sure that each
student responds before you move on. Finally do you hear /sh/ in share
or choose? You all did a great job!

3. Pass out Elkonin boxes and letter manipulative to each student.
Now
lets use our letterbox skills to spell some /sh/ words. Remember that
we
only put one box and the /sh/ sound is one sound therefore it goes in
on
box. Now tell children to get out three letterboxes. Now I want you to
spell gush. After the class has completed the word ask one student to
spell
gush and show his/her letterboxes to the entire class.

4. Now we are going to read a book titled The Rainbow Fish.
Ask
the students what word in the title has the sound /sh/ in it. Follow
this
by passing out play money to the students. Instruct the students that
every
time you hear a /sh/ sound in a word I want you to lay one dollar down
on your desk. Have the students read the story. After the story is
finished,
go around and count the dollars on each student's desk. This will show
you if they understand and have phonemic awareness of the /sh/ sound.

5. Now have the students repeat the /sh/ sound with you and as
another
extra activity have the students write as many words with the sound
/sh/
that they can think of. After the students have finished, have them
read
their /sh/ words to the class.